The Fresno Grizzlies pulled off some 9th-inning heroics in Visalia Friday night to come back from two runs down for a 6-4 win. Two-out, ninth-inning heroics to be exact. Juan Guerrero came to the plate with two on and two out, the Rawhide needing one more out to seal the win and even the series.
Guerrero drilled a three-run shot to left field to put the Grizzlies up 5-4 and the visitors tacked on an additional run to make it 6-4, the eventual final score.
A big crowd of 3,137 at Valley Strong Ballpark enjoyed great weather and a very well-pitched game that sailed through eight innings at a brisk pace. Brayan Castillo of the Grizzlies and Peniel Otano of the Rawhide dueled for five innings with the Rawhide leading 3-2. Castillo left after the fifth having allowed three runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
Otano got an out in the sixth before leaving with two on and one out in favor of Adrian Del Moral who got two outs to end the threat. Otano went 5 1/3 innings with two runs allowed (1 ER) on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.
Del Moral held the Grizzlies down for 2 2/3 innings, yielding just one hit with no runs, no walks and no strikeouts. Tyler Ras did nearly the same for the Grizzlies, going two scoreless innings with two hits, no walks and one strikeout.
Take us to the moon, Muntz! pic.twitter.com/jKxVtKr3b1
— Visalia Rawhide (@VisaliaRawhide) May 14, 2022
Shane Muntz gave the Rawhide an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when he launched his 3rd home run of the season to make it 4-2, Visalia. With three outs to go, Rael Santos got the ninth inning and gave up an infield single to Hunter Goodman on a sharp ground ball that Jean Walters dove for at 3B. Walters gloved it and quickly rose to his feet but his throw to first was too late to get Goodman.
Santos then punched out Juan Brito before plunking Braxton Fulford on a 3-2 pitch. With two on and one out, Santos rang up Zach Kokoska to set up Guerrero’s dramatic AB. A 1-1 pitch was drilled to left and cleared the fence by a good margin as a lot of the buzz in the ballpark died down.
Bryant Quijada followed with a single and then was lifted for pinch-runner Trevor Boone. A wild pitch sent Boone to second and Adael Amador walked, chasing Santos (L, 0-2) in favor of Alex Valdez.
Braiden Ward greeted Valdez with an RBI double to make it 6-4 Grizzlies and that’s how it ended. Valdez ended the inning with a strikeout and Joel Condreay (S, 4) got the Rawhide 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth to seal Fresno’s from-the-jaws-of-defeat win.
Goodman, Kokoska and Ward each had two hits for the Grizzlies. Muntz and Jordan Lawlar led Visalia with two hits apiece.
With the win the Grizzlies (19-12) remained tied for first place in the North division with San Jose, who defeated Lake Elsinore. Fresno has won three of the first four games of the six-game series but the last three have been very close, tense games decided late.
This was my third trip to Valley Strong Ballpark this season and each time the crowd has been bigger. Tons of energy in the park and business appears to be booming. Tonight, there was a little extra enthusiasm from the Grizzlies fans in attendance and it made for a great atmosphere all through the night. Visalia’s record isn’t what it could be with four one-run losses just this month, plus tonight’s result, but it’s not keeping the community from coming out to the park.
